Currently, information is displayed using assembled sheets of paper carrying permanent inks or displayed on electronically modulated surfaces such as cathode ray displays or liquid crystal displays. Other sheet materials can carry magnetically writable areas to carry ticketing or financial information, however magnetically written data is not visible.
A structure is disclosed in PCT/WO 97/04398, entitled "Electronic Book With Multiple Display Pages" which is a thorough recitation of the art of thin, electronically written display technologies. Disclosed is the assembling of multiple display sheets that are bound into a "book", each sheet provided with means to individually address each page. The patent recites prior art in forming thin, electronically written pages, including flexible sheets, image modulating material formed from a bistable liquid crystal system, and thin metallic conductor lines on each page. Various ways are disclosed to produce said conductor lines including photolithography, but not selective exposure and photographic development of traces from a photosensitive emulsion. One disadvantage of this structure is that individual pages are bound together and that many multi-layer conductors must pass across the pages to interconnect at the spine of the book.
Fabrication of flexible, electronically written display sheets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,047. A first sheet has transparent ITO conductive areas and a second sheet has electrically conductive inks printed on display areas. The sheets can be glass, but in practice have been formed of Mylar polyester. A dispersion of liquid crystal material in a binder is coated on the first sheet, and the second sheet is bonded to the liquid crystal material. Electrical potential applied to opposing conductive areas operate on the liquid crystal material to expose display areas. The display ceases to present an image when de-energized. Kaychem Industries form electrical flexible displays interconnection by offsetting the two sheets and contacting trace conductors from each of the two sheets.
The prior art typically requires multiple, separate layers to build up the display. The electrical traces and transparent conductive layers are typically formed through repeated vacuum deposition and photolithography of materials on the substrate. These processes are expensive and require long processing times on capital intensive equipment. Because most display structures are formed of glass, two sheets are used and are offset to permit connection to two separate and exposed sets of traces that are disposed on separate sheets
In the case of electronic display means, power must be provided to view images. Printed sheets receive ink and cannot be rewritten. In the case of magnetically written media such as magnetic areas on the back of credit cards, the information is not readable.